No, they're not, because they're not treated as one by the media and other parties. There's no such thing as an official definition of a mainstream party, but I would say that that point would be reached at the time that their growth in popularity started to scare Murdoch and his friends into treating them rationally. (This would of course then turn into the usual fawning attitude if they thought a BNP government was probably imminent).

Given the near-universal loathing with which politics and politicians of the sort we have had to put up with for the last century are now regarded, however, the question should really be, 'do the BNP actually want to be regarded as a mainstream political party?'

An 'anti-political' party probably has more of a future than the faltering old mainstream ones in the long run.

The media doesn't matter. They will allways be against BNP and will also recruit for BNP. Do you think BNP is mainstream as in has big support?

The media doesn't matter? This is 2006, more's the pity...... of course the bloody media matters! And they will do whatever they think is best for their own interests...... right now, they perceive that as slagging off the BNP. If the BNP's popularity rises to levels where their attitude towards it is costing them money, then they will change their tune. If they think that an imminently electable BNP government might take away their broadcasting franchises as payback for decades of political bias, then they will really change their tune. This latter applies double to the BBC, which I would hope the BNP would simply shut down as a national disgrace.

The word 'mainstream' doesn't refer to the level of support a party enjoys, it means whether or not it is accepted as a 'normal' political party by the majority of the population. A vague definition, admittedly, but then again 'mainstream' is a pretty vague word. Since the majority of our population are now thick and supine, they get most of their opinions exclusively from the media, in particular from the TV. By this definition, the BNP are most definitely not yet mainstream, although they are starting to be taken a little more seriously in some quarters.

In terms of simple popularity, though, I think it's clear that the BNP now enjoys a far higher level of support than their enemies care to admit...... potentially, I suspect, easily enough to form a government already, given that Labour support is only really 20% of the population these days. Translating that potential into actual votes is the hard bit, though.

I wouldn't say they are mainstream until they have many Members of Parliament and are seen to actually do something to change the laws of this country. At the moment I regard them as a very important pressure group which is lacking real power.

I wouldn't say they are mainstream until they have many Members of Parliament and are seen to actually do something to change the laws of this country. At the moment I regard them as a very important pressure group which is lacking real power.

Those of us who have actually studied British politics might well come to this conclusion. As depressing as it might be...

When the establishment see a threat they make like they are going to stamp it out, look at the internments of high ranking BUF members at the beginning of WW2 and compare them to the arrest's of Mr's Tyndall, Griffin, and Collett during the Iraq war.

This never actually comes to anything, but the British public suddenly start to take notice more than ever. If you then compare the huge meetings and rallies of the BUF after WW2, with the much higher political gains of the BNP after the Iraq war.

The next phase for the BUF was a long period of adversed publicity, followed by its petering out to obscurity and disappearing altogether.

So have the government and media deliberately drummed up publicity with the arrests? Have they made all that fuss about the failure to deport foreign criminals just before election time, just to build up the BNP? Would they have done so prior to a General Election?

When it comes to support and membership, than yes.
Overall, they are just a major small party. In the general election, they gain enough votes but dont get a seat (due to an unfair system) If we had PR, then yes, the BNP would be considered a mainstream party.

NO as yet the party is still small in terms of membership and votes but its growing very nicely,the party has crossed the obstacle in that at one time to vote for a nationalist party even at local level would have been considerd a waste of vote.
That has changed now,people will vote for the party at local council elections BUT we still have to get them to vote in enough numbers at parlimentary elections,that is the next target I think for the party and then we will become more mainstream.May I also say that Nick Griffin has done wonders for the party and we are vey lucky to have him as leader.